Support for third rails



T. w'. CASEY. SUPPORT-FOR THIRD RAILS.

ED JUNE 6 1917.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS w. CASEY, OFIYONKERS, NEW YORK, AssIGNoR. ToNArIo'NAI. PNEUMATIC COMPANY, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION or waste VIRGINIA.

SUPPORT FOR THIRD RAILS.

Specification of Letters Patent. I Patented Aug. 30, 1921.

Application filed June 6, 1917, Serial No. 173,141. Renewed July 20, 1921 Serial No. 486,189.

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, THOMAS IV. CAsEY, a citizen of the'United States, residing at Yonkers, county of VVestchester, State of New York, have made a certain new and useful Invention in Supports for Third Rails, of which the following is a specification. I

The main objects of this invention are to provide an improved, simple and inexpensive form of support for third rails of electric railways, which is constructed so as to effectively insulate the third rail from all of its surroundings; and to provide improved means for securing the rail in place on its support withoutthe use of tie-bolts'or the like. y I

' Further objects of the invention will appear more fully hereinafter.

I p The invention consistssubstantially in the construction, combination, location andrelative arrangement of parts, all as Wlll be more fully hereinafter set forth, as shown in the accompanying drawing and finally pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawing- Figure l is a view inqperspective of a sectionof a third rail and support therefor,

embodying my invention.

Fig. 2' is a similar view with the rail removed.

Fig. 3 is a View in slde elevation of the support and rail partially in section, taken on the line 3-3, Fig. 4 and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 4 is a view in end elevation, partially the rail in place, will allow the removal of the rail when desired or necessary, without the usual inconvenience incident to the use of bolts for clamping the rail in position.

In the drawing, I designate the support by reference numeral 1, which support may be of any suitable non-conducting material,

.ployed as is obvious.

the support are grooved as indicated at 3. I provide what I will designate as a clench plate 4, which comprises an end portion 5 bent upwardly and inwardly. as shown, with its body portion cut away between the fiat slde portions 6 thereof, and the other end thereof being bent downwardly and inwardly as indicated at 7, to engage, when in position, an one of the slots 3 of the support 1. Lying within the cutaway portion of the clench plate 4 is what I will term a lock-plate 8, bent upwardly and slightly inwardly at one end, as indicated at 9, the

other end of which is bent downwardly and inwardly, as'indicated at 10, to enga e the opposite groove 3 of the supportl. hus it will be seen that when the lock-plate 8 is inserted in the clench-plate 4 and the respective ends 10 and 7 thereof engage the grooves 3 of the support 1, the parts assume the position shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing with the portions 8 and 6 of the respective plates lying 1n the same horizontal plane to form a continuous fiat surface. The rail 20 is then placed so that one edge 21 thereof is held in place by the portion 5 of the clench plate 4 and the other ed e 22 thereof'is thereupon forced downwardl pa'st the bent in portion 9 of the end of the lock-plate, and thereby the rail is efliciently retained in place.

From the foregoing it is seen that I have provided an extremely simple, cheap and efficient means for insulating retaining and supporting the third rail and one which can Respective sides of v Having now set forth the objects and nature of myinvention, what I claim as new and useful and of my own invention anu desire to secure by Letters Patent'is:

l. A support for third rails comprising a standard, a pair of plates fitting one in the other and respectively engaging at one end the opposite sides of said standard, said plates having their other. ends respectively adapted to engage opposite sides of the rail and clamp the rail on the top surface of said standard. i

2. A support for third rails comprising a standard, a plate adapted to lie on the top surface of the standard and one end thereof adapted to engage one side of said standard, a second plate adapted to lie within the first mentioned plate and to engage at one end the opposite side of said stand ard, and a rail resting on said plates,-said plates at their other ends receiving and clamping the rail between them.

The combination with a standard provided with grooves on opposite sides thereof, a slotted plate adapted to lie on the top surface of said standard and provided at one endjwith a downwardly projecting portion to engage the slot on one side of the standard, a second plate adapted to lie on the top surface of said standard within the slot of the first plate, and provided at one end with a downwardly projecting portion to engage the slot on the other side of the standard, theother ends of said plates receiving and clamping a rail therebetween.

4C. The combination with a standard provided with grooves on opposite sides thereof, a slotted plate adapted to lie on the top surface of said standard and provided at one end with a downwardly projecting portion to engage the groove on one side of the standard, a second plate adapted to lie on the top surface ofsaid standard within the slot of the first plate, and provided at one end with a downwardly projecting portion to engage the groove on the other side of the standard, the other ends of said plates receiving and clamping a rail therebetween, to thereby retain said plates in po sition.

5. In a third rail support, the combination with a standard, a clench plate and a lock plate formed to extend across and lie on the top surface of said standard, said plates respectively engaging at one end the opposite sides of said standard, a rail restingon said plates, the other ends of said plates respectively engaging opposite sides of said rail.

6. In a third rail support, a standard, a pair of plates resting on the upper surface of said standard and each having the ends thereof bent in opposite directions from each other, one of the bent ends of one plate engaging the standard on one side and one of the bent ends of the other plate engaging the standard on the other side, a rail resting on said plates, the other ends of said plates respectively engaging opposite sides of said rail.

7 .'A third rail support including an insulating and supporting standard, a clench plate having a body portion and end portions deflected in op osite directions from the plane of the b0 y portion, said body portion having a portion thereof cut out, a lock plate having a body portion and end portions deflected in opposite directions with respect to the plane of the body portion, said lock plate interlocking with the cut out portion of the body of the clench plate to bring the body portions of said plates into the same plane, one bent 'end of each of said plates engaging the standard, the one-on the one side and the other on the other side of said standard, and a rail received between and retained by the other ends of said plates, said rail resting upon the body portions of said plates.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand on this 24th day of A. 1)., 1917.

THOMAS W. CASEY. 

